Reports, guides, handbooks Policy Handbook 2019-20 | Page 19

Section 504 Some students who have a disability may not qualify as being in need of special education services. These students may qualify for support under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met. If a student has a mental or physical impairment that may be impacting him in the school setting, parents should contact their child’s teacher or principal regarding their concerns. School-age care Visit ahschools.us/adventuresplus to view the Adventures Plus parent handbook, registration information and additional resources for families. PARENTS, VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS Parents’ role in homework at the secondary level In general, students who spend more time on homework do better in school. Completing homework regularly also helps students develop good work habits and self-discipline. While secondary students need to become independent in getting their homework done, parents can help them develop good habits. • Help your child be organized with schoolwork. Encourage him or her to write down all assignments in a planner or notebook. (A student planner is provided to all middle and high school students.) • Help your child develop a daily routine for completing homework that allows enough flexibility for school activities plus time to spend with friends. • Provide a quiet place to study, away from the distraction of television. • Sometimes homework is difficult. When your child asks for help or is struggling, help your child find the resources (people, books, and reference material) to get it done. The student should also talk to the teacher for clarification or help. Don’t do the work for your child. • Provide basic supplies and resources your child will need, such as pencils, pens, paper, and a dictionary. • Other handy items include stapler, paper clips, maps, a calculator, tape, and a thesaurus. Show an interest in your child’s work and offer to take him or her to the library or elsewhere to do research if needed. Media center accommodations Parents should feel comfortable communicating with the school's library media specialist regarding their child's choice of books. Please see your school media specialist with any con- cerns about reading content or any special circumstances your family may have. Accommodations will be made to meet your child's needs. 2019-20 School Handbook ahschools.us/policies Parenting is challenging . . . resources for you Parents and others who help children grow up face many changes and challenges. Help in meeting those challenges is readily available. Community Education classes are available throughout the school year to help parents. Learn from experts and connect with other parents to discover new ways to help students of all ages succeed in the classroom, develop positive interactions with family and peers and prepare for the future. For specific class and registration information visit www.discovercommunityed.com or call 763-506-5766. The Parent Resource Center (PRC) lends library materials to parents, families and staff of the Anoka-Hennepin Schools' community. Choose from over 1,000 books, CDs or DVDs to enhance your parenting skills. Topics include parenting strate- gies, school success, birth-adolescent development, special needs, mental health and more. Materials can be reserved online, sent through interoffice mail and returned to any of our Anoka-Hennepin schools. The PRC is located inside door one at 2727 N Ferry St., Anoka, and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on school days. Call 763-506-1587 or visit ahschools.us/prc for more information. Visitors Parents, guardians and visiting guests are welcome. For every- one’s safety, all visitors must sign in at the office, receive and wear a visitor badge at all times. Visitors not displaying a visitor badge will be referred to the office. Upon leaving, we ask that visitors, parents and guardians sign out in the office. Classroom visits by parents and guardians can inform them about the learning materials and strategies used in their child’s school. Arrangements should be made with the school in advance as to the date and length of visit. This will ensure that visits are informative for parents and guardians and do not disrupt learning activities, tests, and other classroom schedules and routines. See the visitor policy on page 56. Volunteers Volunteers help in a wide variety of ways, both in and out of the classroom. They assist students with reading and math, judge science fairs and other academic competitions, chaperone field trips, perform clerical work, serve on school and district commit- tees, and much more. Each school has a volunteer services coordinator who helps recruit volunteers and match them with opportunities. • All volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application and a criminal record history release form for each school, and school year before they start their volunteer assignment. • Volunteers must sign in at the office and wear a volunteer badge at all times. Anyone interested in volunteering in an Anoka-Hennepin school can call 763-506-1585 or the school’s volunteer services coordinator. More information is also available at ahschools.us/volunteer. 17